


Teach Me Your Ways (and I'll Hold You Steady)

by Officer_Jennie



Series: Tumblr Drabbles [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Mission Gone Wrong, Pre-Slash, Slight Humor, This idea literally kept me up all night, Why Did I Write This?, body heat, i hate my brain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 16:44:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16936947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Officer_Jennie/pseuds/Officer_Jennie
Summary: Tobirama's close to freezing a few limbs off, and is forced to ask the living fire for help on the matter. Of course, Madara's has to be an ass about it, and won't save his best friend's brother's life for free.Or: Madara and Tobirama have to share body heat while out on a mission.





	Teach Me Your Ways (and I'll Hold You Steady)

**Author's Note:**

> After thinking for several hours about a prompt I received yesterday (one concerning a SenjuUchihaSenju sandwich) I realized I completely potatoed and misunderstood the prompt entirely xD This is a bit closer, though the sandwich is a bit inside-out.

Tobirama loved water. He’d all but lived in the lake near the Senju compound, floating in the cool water, letting the fish nibble on his toes, soaking it all in until his fingers pruned. Had spent every spare moment of his childhood laying near the banks, book or scroll unfolded in front of him, resting his chin on his arms, kicking his feet in the air.

But at the moment, dozens of miles away from any settlement, mid-mission, drained of chakra and energy, bare but for the boxers he’d thankfully decided to put on before they left Konoha (seeing as he usually forewent undergarments), clutching his knees to his chest and teeth damn close to shattering from chattering so hard, harsh wind from the inclement weather and  _soaked to the goddamn bone_  - he  _hated_  water.

Madara stood near the mouth of the cave, kicking a bit of wood and growling under his breath. Everything around the area was soaked as well, useless for burning. Though it mattered little; with the wind blowing so fiercely, changing directions sporadically as well, it could blow the smoke right back in and choke them out. Just another thing to make Tobirama curse his luck.

Not to mention how the Uchiha had managed to stay mostly dry, only his hair weighed down and dripping. The grouch of a man tossed his armor off into some corner, flopping down with a huff and sparing a glance at his company.

“You’ll break your teeth, going on like that.”

He tried to send a scathing glare Madara’s direction, but it probably resembled more a squirrel squinting while it chattered. His company merely rolled his eyes, brushing his hair to the side to squeeze it out.

“Can’t you do  _something_ about the cold?” The words came in starts, almost impossible to force out.

“I’m not the one who got caught, Senju.” He tossed his hair back, giving a pointed look to the chain-shaped bruises blooming all across Tobirama’s arms. The metal had burned as it drained his chakra; he brought his arms closer, shutting his eyes against the memory.

“Uchiha...” Tobirama dug his nails into his arms, swallowing his pride. He knew a way to keep warm. Being embarrassed about the situation could come later, when he was warm in his own bed and  _not freezing to death_.

“Body heat.”

The suggestion did not cause immediate disgust, which was interesting enough. Madara frowned over at him, a thoughtful curve to his brow. “Oh? Are you asking me to cuddle, Senju?”

He grinted his teeth as best he could, willing his cheeks to not color. “I’m  _asking_  you to help me not  _freeze to death_.”

Madara left him to shiver for a minute, considering him with an unreadable expression and a calculating gaze. When he finally responded, it was with a shrug, rolling his shoulder to stretch the joint. “I’ll  _cuddle_  you, Senju, in exchange for some information.”

“I’m  _not_  teaching you the kage bunshin.” He dug his nails further into his skin; numb as it was from the cold, he barely felt it at all. “It’s  _my_  jutsu, and  _I_  get to decide who uses it.”

Madara leaned back against the cave wall, crossing his arms with a long-suffering sigh. “You’re asking me to sleep next to you, which would leave us both vulnerable in an attack - especially considering we’d be laying down. Supine or not, we’d be at a disadvantage.” He cocked his head, staring out at the pouring rain falling like a waterfall from the cave entrance. “With no chakra, your sensor skills are nil. I’d rather have someone capable of keeping guard, which could be easily done - along with your need for  _cuddles_  - if we had a third person.”

“I’d rather freeze.”

Logically, Tobirama knew he was being childish. But he’d worked  _years_  on the technique, edging on a decade. Not even Hashirama knew exactly how it worked, despite his insistent wailing about how unfair it all was. Hell, he’d been so careful about where he preformed the kage bunshin as well, making sure no prying sharingan users were around to steal his jutsu.

Besides, Madara was his brother’s best friend. And Hashirama would never forgive him if he let Tobirama lose so much as a finger from the cold. He wouldn’t risk that over some half-arsed bribery.

“Suit yourself.” The Uchiha dropped himself to the ground, turning his back to his companion, to all the world ready to ignore him.

It took several minutes of silence for Tobirama to realize his assumption had been wrong. Madara  _was_  quite ready to let him freeze to death. The man had no dignity or morals to him. It took another half hour for him to relent, snarling at the Uchiha as best he could.

“ _Fine_.” As Madara sat up again, Tobirama ran through the list of hand signs the jutsu required, adding snippishly, “Not a  _word_  to  _anyone_  about this.”

****

Madara chose not to answer, instead flashing through the hand signs with ease. Another Madara popped into existence at his side, identical down to the wet hair sticking to his cheek. He grinned at himself, taking a moment to tilt his head back and forth, examining his handiwork proudly as if he’d created the jutsu itself.

It made Tobirama’s head hurt. When this was all over, he’d smack that stupid grin right off his face.

Without more delay, Madara strode over him, chucking his shirt at the pile of armor and manhandling him into a comfortable position on the stone floor - and completely ignoring Tobirama’s protests at being handled in such a fashion.

“Hold still.” Madara resting his chin on Tobirama’s hair, tucking him up close to his chest and wrapping both arms around his chilled body.

If anyone were to ask why Tobirama so willingly buried his face into the dark curls there, he would point out the cold rain, the roaring wind, the dangers of not warming up after being outside in such conditions. He would deny any idea, even the slightest hint or suggestion that anything else had crossed his mind.

He would also be flat-out lying.

Some movement rustled behind him, though he didn’t have time to register what it might be before two more warm arms circled his waist, a second warm body - and bare chest - pressing against his back. He started at the touch, sparing enough energy to tilt his head and glare up at Madara.

“Keeping guard, huh?”

“Are you really complaining, Senju?” The words were murmured low in his hair, followed shortly by a contented sigh and deepening breath.

He chewed on the question for a moment, wondering if he could really be bothered by any of this - and ultimately deciding that, no, this was not worth fighting. He buried his nose right back into the thick curls, letting himself relax and absorb the heat from the two burning fires clutching him tight. There was no harm in enjoying this while it lasted, and he planned to do just that, knowing full well there was no guarantee Madara would ever let him this close again (and hoping with all his heart the man would).

**Author's Note:**

> Once again from an anon prompt from tumblr.
> 
> Questions/comments, as always, are both welcomed and greatly appreciated! :D


End file.
